REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Smaller fold
REASONS TO AVOID
Flimsy frame
Cheap materials
Poor storage
Small sunshade
Challenging brakes
Disappointing cup holder
Summer Infant 3D lite Review
Poor-performing option that costs more than a better-performing choice with no real pros
Credit: Matt Lighthart
By Wendy Schmitz ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ June 9, 2024
RELATED: The Best Travel Strollers
Our Verdict
The Summer Infant 3D Lite is an inexpensive, lightweight umbrella stroller in our travel stroller review. This stroller is lightweight, has an umbrella fold, includes a shoulder carry strap, and a nap-worthy recline. However, that is where the good times end, in our opinion. The 3D Lite is a hard-to-use option with double-action brakes, rough harness webbing, and a hard-to-access storage bin. It is harder to push and turn, and the canopy is so small and floppy it isn't protecting anyone from anything. Despite the reasonable price tag and brand name recognition, we don't think it is a good choice for any purpose, even if your budget is tight.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Summer Infant was created in 1985 by William Lockett III. Looking for a safe location to place his baby (Summer), this new father created the original bouncy seat.
The Summer Infant is longer when folded and takes up more space in our test vehicle than strollers that fold in thirds.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Transporting and Storing
The Summer Infant did not perform well for transporting or storing. While it is lightweight and has a reasonable cubic inch measurement, its shape is long and awkward.
The Summer Infant weighed 13 lbs in our tests.
Credit: Sentry Kelly
The Summer Infant stroller weighs 13 lbs, just below the category norm of 14 lbs. It is lightweight and features a shoulder carry strap, making it a convenient option for travel.
When folded, the size measurements were 12"W x 9.5"H x 42.3"L, or 4,822 in^3, placing it near the average for travel strollers in our review.
We measure the products at their longest, widest, and deepest points. The Summer Infant is 12"W x 10.3"H x 42.3"L or 4,822 in^3.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The smaller options are in the 3,000 cubic inch range and fold in thirds, making them easier to stow out of the way, but it isn't the biggest in the group by far. Perhaps your stowing location will make the shape either acceptable or frustrating.
The Summer Infant harness shoulder strap adjustment is a rethreading system that requires time and effort to complete.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Use
The Summer Infant isn't easy to use, and it offers a more challenging experience than the competition. While it has similar features to the competition, its design seems unbothered by the user's experience.
The 3D lite has a release latch and folds forward. While it locks in place and has a carry strap, it is a loose fold and a long overall package.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Fold and Unfold
The Summer Infant folds like a traditional umbrella stroller, collapsing in on itself to create an elongated package. It requires two hands to fold and unfold. It does not self-stand, and the lock is manual.
You can open the Summer Infant with one hand, but it isn't as easy with your hands full as some competitors.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
To fold, you need to unlock a crossbar, which proves tricky and requires sticking your hand into a potential pinch point.
It isn't challenging so much as it doesn't need to be this convoluted. Unfolding requires releasing the lock and shaking it open to deploy.
The storage bin is virtually inaccessible once the Summer Infant seat is reclined.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Storage
The Summer Infant storage bin has some design flaws. It is medium-sized, but the access is remarkably bad and becomes zero when the seat reclines. We were only able to fit our medium bag in the bin. It has a 10 lb maximum allowance, which is about average for a stroller that lists the limit.
The canopy has a pocket on the back large enough for snacks or a smartphone.
The harness on the Summer Infant has padding, but none of the materials are truly skin-friendly.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Harness
The harness on the Summer Infant is cheap, with rougher webbing and a frustrating adjustment system that takes longer than expected. The shoulder straps have wrap-around padding, and a pad is behind the buckle to help prevent pinching. The fabric isn't exceptionally comfortable and feels more like checking a box than caring about the rider's experience. The buckle is straightforward but takes more force than easier options.
The Summer Infant has double-action brakes that require pressing each pedal to engage the brakes.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brakes
The Summer Infant is one of the few options with double-action brakes. The pedals are harder to set and lift than other options, but they are somewhat longer than the other double brakes in the review, so they are marginally easier. We prefer foot-friendly single-action brakes that do not require lifting from underneath.
The Summer Infant is not hard to assemble, but it does have more parts to put on than most competitors.
Credit: Sentry Kelly
Ease of Setup
The Summer Infant is easy to assemble even without opening the manual. The setup includes adding the wheels and connecting the canopy.
Car Seat Compatiblity
The Summer Infant has no car seat compatibility.
The double wheel on each leg design struggles when it heads off the sidewalk in our maneuverability tests.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Maneuverability
The Summer Infant earned one of the lowest scores for performance in our maneuverability tests. This stroller has dual plastic wheels on all four legs. This design of eight wheels has always translated to poor maneuverability in our tests.
The two-handle design on the Summer Infant seems to make the frame even more unstable when pushing.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The wheels are soft, and the flexible frame makes pushing or turning on anything other than flat, debris-free surfaces difficult. The extra wheels seem to get caught on every tiny crumb, and they spin for no real reason. The lateral instability creates a situation where the stroller feels like it will collapse when you try to turn on uneven terrain like grass. Overall, it is frustrating and not an experience we think is worth the lower price.
The Summer Infant has some suspension, but it is largely negated by the flexy frame, resulting in more shaking and shifting.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Quality
The Summer Infant earned one of the lowest scores for quality, and its materials and design choices are nothing to brag about.
The wheels on the Summer Infant are soft plastic with fake tread.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The fabric is cheap, not soft, and uncomfortable. It fits the frame okay, but it doesn't feel very durable. The footrest is a plastic strip likely to break under regular use, and the canopy was floppy and had trouble staying in position.
The frame has a lot of side-to-side wiggles and doesn't feel sturdy. It has many visual fasteners and hinge points. The wheels are about 6 inches in diameter and made of flimsy foam-filled plastic. They are some of the softest in the group, and the dual wheel design on each leg is now a hallmark of a cheap stroller.
The Summer Infant has a deeper recline, but the abrupt ending of the leg rest and smaller canopy aren't as comfortable for the passenger and other strollers we tested.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Kid's Comfort
The Summer Infant did not offer much for kids' comfort.
The foot rest on the Summer infant is a plastic strip that is flimsy and out of reach for smaller riders.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Seat
The seat back does recline and is lightly padded. It requires two hands to lift and one hand to lower. While it is probably a deep enough recline for napping, the recline blocks the storage access, and you won't be able to access supplies once children fall asleep.
The red latches on the Summer Infant adjust the recline to a single position.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
It has a fixed leg rest that is also floppy and doesn't provide much support. The footrest is just a plastic strip and is unlikely to survive as long as the stroller does.
The Summer Infant canopy is locked open with a plastic tensioner.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Sunshade
The Summer Infant's canopy looks sharp but is sort of useless. It is small and floppy in the wind and has no peek-a-boo window. It protects from virtually nothing but direct overhead sun.
The cup holder on the Summer Infant is somewhat flimsy, and we couldn't get our water bottle all the way in to the bottom.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the Summer Infant 3Dlite?
No. Despite being reasonably priced and a brand name parents might recognize, the Summer Infant is largely disappointing. With the lowest score in the review and some of the lowest scores in each metric, it is clear it isn't a top performer and is one we think will create more issues than it solves. While we understand having a tight budget, we recommend doing without or finding other solutions if your budget can't be stretched.
What Other Travel Strollers Should You Consider?
While not an award winner and also not a top performer, if your budget is super tight, we prefer the Kolcraft Cloud Plus over the Summer Infant, and it is cheaper, too. The Kolcraft earned a slightly higher score, but more importantly, we don't think you should pay more for lower performance, and the Kolcraft will save you money. If your budget can stretch and you want a better quality, easier-to-use product, the Zoe Traveler is our pick. This option folds small, is lightweight, easy to use, and by far easier to push on and off the beaten path.
Manufacturer Video
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Summer Infant 3D lite versus top competing products:
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